What Freedom Really Means

For many Americans, last weekend was full of barbecues, family picnics, firework shows, and beach vacations. On the 4th, we paused and appreciated our country’s freedom. We remembered the revolutionaries who became soldiers overnight, standing up for their deep-rooted beliefs and committing to the fight for liberty and justice for all—challenge accepted.

But what happens after Independence Day—Do we truly honor?our own?freedom?

I had a conversation with a Cohort Member a few weeks ago who was in a frustrating position that we’re all familiar with—furiously chopping wood with a dull ax.?

Picture that for a moment: the heavy ax in your blistering palms, the seemingly impenetrable tree before you. Sweat pours over your face with each swing. You look over. Results, but not the ones you know you’re capable of. So, you speed up—more chopping, harder swings,?don’t stop ‘till it’s done!?You work harder and harder, but the tree doesn’t get any easier to cut down.?I have some bad news for you…

You’re doing the same thing in your business.?

Investing time in the wrong things or being a workaholic in order to avoid the root of problems sucks the mental (and physical) energy out of you. This leads to unhappiness which turns to anger—anger at the people on your payroll, anger at that dumb to-do list, perhaps even anger at your family. Sound familiar?

If it does, I have one question for you: “Red pill or blue pill?”

In other words,?when are you going to choose your independence over the rat race???When are you going to choose to make smarter, faster, easier decisions and build the systems of your company in a way that supports your freedom??

“Bill,” you’re probably thinking, “This sounds great but are you going to tell me HOW?”

It goes like this ->?

A shift in mindset = a shift in operational systems = a shift in the badasses you surround yourself with =?FREEDOM?

What if your need to be furiously in motion and constantly working is actually societal conditioning to make you?feel?like you're winning, when in reality you’re more miserable than ever before?

We’ll talk more about this paradox later, but for now, I want you to do three things:

1. Take a?minute to stop and check your ax.?Ask yourself: “In what areas am I furiously chopping wood with no results?” Write them down. Be radically honest about what you’d like to improve upon and what having more time looks like for you. Create an ideal, but realistic schedule.?Check out the book “Essentialism”?by NYT best-selling author Greg McKeown to help you hone in on what’s really important.
2. Acknowledge and accept that you’re working harder, not smarter.?Acceptance is the first step to change.When you stop avoiding what’s not working and make better choices, you stop fighting yourself.?Journaling is a great way to dive deep.
3. Change your mindset.?It is possible to have freedom, independence, wealth, and joy – I promise!?The Lions Pride arsenal?has numerous tools to help you refocus what’s important in your life and maximize your personal growth. Remember that true success is business, life, and?self.

After certain life events forced personal growth (you can listen to my full story here), I realized that work and life must flow together. And once I learned that, I became free from the conditioning of society, family, and friends. Though I’m sure everyone had good intentions, the common thread was the same: Constantly Working = Success.?

WRONG.?

I’m here to free people from this unproductive mindset. That’s what Independence Day means to me.?

So, as you fondly recall your celebrations from July 4th, let's use that motivation to wake up this week and?commit to the change that will allow true freedom in your life.??

Onward,?Bill

For more acceleration click here.